What Happens in Band
by Ze Great Camicazi
Summary: Band Geek AU! For my mother and friend who are/were both band geeks and huge fans of this movie.
**Ok so this was written via phone and originally posted on Tumblr. I give you Strange Magic's Band Geek AU!**

"Easy there, Dawn," Marianne yelped as her sister almost hit her in the head with the flag again. "You are supposed to be three steps further back than you are," Marianne said, putting her wooden rifle down in favor of reprimanding here sister's overzealousness.

"Oops! Sorry!" the younger sister squeaked, jumping back and almost running over her friend, Sunny, lugging his huge tuba. The shorter boy wobbled under the weight but quickly and skillfully regained his balance.

"Oh, gosh! I'm sorry, Sunny!" Dawn cried, dropping her flag to help her friend.

"I'm alright, Dawn," he said, smiling up at her. Dawn gave her signature bubbly smile and reached for her flag again.

"Once more, everyone!" the school music teacher trilled in her always musical voice. "We have to be ready for the game tonight!"

Marianne groaned in despair. She had her part down and had all the bruises from her rifle to prove it. While her sister chose to be a colorful flag twirler, Marianne chose the rifle, heavy and not as balanced, and not slowed in momentum by a large piece of fabric. And son, did that lack of slowed speed count when she missed a catch and the wooden rifle smacked her in the head or jammed a finger.

Marianne sighed as she found her starting position again. The jaunty band music to the song _Eye of the Tiger_ began. Marianne smiled at the 'go get 'em' style of the music.

She picked up the beat with her steps, marching in place then following the students lined up in front of her out onto the field.

Marianne stepped high as she left the building keeping them from sight and marched onto the field.

Marianne tossed her rifle into the air, putting just enough spin on it, before catching it easily and spinning it again and couldn't help imagining it cracking right into Roland's pretty boy skull.

The years previous he hadn't let her try out for the color guard. "That is no place for you, darlin'," he had drawled in that stupid southern drawl of his. "If you want to do something to cheer me on at games, you should become a cheerleader."

So she had, and she had been a damned good cheerleader. But she still hadn't been good enough according to him.

When Marianne had heard the rumors of him sleeping with the other cheerleaders on the squad, she had dismissed them as simply that, rumors. Until she walked in on him and Charlotte Green practicing their spread eagles.

She broke up with him on the spot. She quit cheer squad a day later, took up band and punk rock within the next week. She became a pariah and she loved every minute of it because she was who she wanted to be.

Marianne smoothly executed another high toss and caught it with expert precision behind her back. She had practiced for hours to get that perfect with her costume. Now Marianne could do it blindfolded with the elaborate costume.

She twirled the rifle one last time and rested the butt of the wooden rifle by her feet. Her back was ramrod straight and she was breathing heavily from the exertion of her routine.

"Beautiful! Beautiful!" Ms. Plum trilled gleefully, bouncing onto the field her bubbly personality pouring out of her very essence. "We are going to nail this half-time show! And it looks like our routines for competition will go off without a hitch!" Ms. Plum twirled happily.

"Now go home and rest up! We have a big game to get ready for," she chimed before bouncing off.

Marianne turned to her sister and her sister's best friend, both grinning like mad fools themselves. Marianne didn't necessarily like those grins.

"What?" she asked flinching.

Dawn squealed in a pitch similar to Ms. Plum's and grabbed her sister's arm. "We still have costumes to finish! Come on! Sunny said he would help put the finishing touches on them!" Marianne groaned in dismay as he overzealous sister and Sunny drug her off the field to douse costumes in so much glitter the stadium would need sunglasses. After all if nothing else, Dawn was all about glitter.

 **Well here is chapter one of the Band Geek AU**


End file.
